Emerging from the same art/design cauldron that produced fellow Leeds legends Soft Cell, Scritti Politti, and The Mekons, CUD were the pre-Britpop answer to doleful shoegazing bands – fun-loving, light-hearted, romantic and downright catchy.

Alternatively loved or loathed like a yeast extract, CUD are indie rock for the unpretentious pleasure seeker, boasting as they do the rich deep-lunged voice of Carl Puttnam, edgy guitars of Mike Dunphy and tight, funky rhythm section of William Potter, bass and Gogs Byrn, drums.

CUD were initially lauded for their quirky Peel session cover of ‘You Sexy Thing’ in 1987. They soon built up a huge live following and buffed up their repertoire with a string of unstraight pop beauties, best exemplified by the 1990 album ‘Leggy Mambo’. This led to a major-label deal with A&M in 1991, front-page NME coverage, massive sellout gigs and proper Top 30 hits, ‘Rich and Strange’ and ‘Purple Love Balloon’.

Misunderstood by record companies and press, CUD packed away their guitars and sticks in 1995 but, bolstered by a greatest hits anthology (‘Rich and Strange’) in 2006, they agreed to tread the boards again, with a further reunion following in 2012 (now with original guitarist and key songwriter Mike Dunphy) and continue to find an army of ‘Space CUDets’ still eager to sing along, dance like fruitcakes and invade their stage.

Independent. Venue, Disco, Drinking Den. We are Sunderland.

On show days, ticket holders can enjoy 20% off food and drinks at local business’ Koji, Mexico 70, and The Ship Isis. We recommend booking the restaurants on weekends.

Flat level parking is available directly opposite the venue, free after 3pm on weekdays and after 6pm on Saturdays & Sundays. Sunderland train station is just a two-minute walk and the bus interchange is a five-minute walk.

For more venue information: www.independentsunderland.com

Description supplied by the event organiser.